Fabric take-up mechanism



Feb. 19, 1935, H MCADAMS 1,991,563

FABRIC TAKE-UP MECHANISM Filed June 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.-

INVENTOR.

Hal-P M Adams ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 1 9, 1935 1,991,563 FABRIC TAKE-UP MECHANISM HarryMcAdams, Reading, Pa., assignor to Nolde and Horst Company, tionReading, Pa., a corpora- Application June 28, 1932, Serial No. 619,789

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fabric take-up mechanisms.

The primary-object of this invention is the provision of an automaticrevolving fabric takeup device particularly well adapted for use uponknitting machines, by means of which the knitted fabric will bemaintained under a uniform tension at all times.

A further object of this invention is the vision of an' automaticrevolving take-up mechanism particularly well adapted to be used uponfull automatic ribknitting machines such as set forth in my applicationSerial No. 558,798, filed August 22, 1931; the improved take-up devicemaintaining a uniform tension upon the knitted fabric at all times andcompensating during oscillation of the knitting machine cylinder, suchas occurs during knitting of the heel and toe of a; stocking, to relievethe tension upon the fabric supported upon the knitting machine.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andwherein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved takeup mechanism, showing itsmounting upon the legs of a knitting machine.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the improvedtake-up mechanism showing more particularly the clutch thereof in itsposition for take-up of fabric.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view showing the take-up mechanism partly in section, thisview showing the clutch thrown out of driving connection with thetake-up gearing. A

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantiallyon the line 5-5 of Figure 1, and showing more particularly the springurged take-up roll.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose .of illustration is shown onlya preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generallydesignate the improved take-up device, which may include a stationaryframe B' adapted for attachment to legs or framework C of a knittingmachine. A driving gear means D is mounted on the frame 13, which isdriven at all times at the same speed of revolution as the cylinder ofthe knitting machine, and upon which is mounted for similar rotation thetake-up roller arrangeproment E;' the latter having an improvedclutching construction F normally resiliently urged, by mountingdetails'of the roller arrangement E, into driving connection.

The stationary frame B of the improved takeup mechanism A is provided,as shown in Figure 3, has an annular depression wherein is rotatablymounted a ring gear 11 comprising part of the means D; the frame Bhaving a circular opening therethrough with an upstanding verticalflange 15 adapted to seat within an annular groove 17 provided in thelower surface of the gear 11, as shown in Figure 3. The frame B isattached at 20 to a cross bar or rail 21; the latter being secured at 22to the legs or other framework C of a knitting machine, such as setforth in my co-pending application, Serial No. 558,798, above mentioned;it being understood that the take-up roller portion E is locateddirectly below the rotating cylinder of such machine in order to receivethe fabric as it is knitted.

In addition to the gear 11 the drive gearing means D, upon which theroller features E of the invention are mounted, includes an attachingring 25, shown best in Figure 3 of the drawings, which is attached at 26to the bottom of the gear 11; the attaching ring overlapping theundersurface of the bed of the frame Bin order to prevent verticalmovement of the gear 11, yet 4 permitting its rotation. It will be notedthat the annular flange 15 riding in the groove 17 prevents the teeth ofthe gear 11 from contacting the walls of the bed of the frame B in whichit is seated.

v A drive shaft 30 has a bearing in a portion 31 of the frame B, asshown in the drawings, and is provided with a pinion 33 in meshingengagement with the teeth of the gear 11. The shaft 30 is driven off thecylinder driving mechanism of the knitting machine on which the takeupmechanism A is mounted, so that the gear 11 will be driven at the samelinear speed as the cylinder of the knitting machine. Of course the gear11 and ring 25 are provided with openings to permit the droppingtherethrough of the knitted work after it is taken up through the rollermeans E to be subsequently described.

Referring to the take-up portion proper 'E of the device A, the sameincludes parallel side rails 35 and 36 connected at similar ends by across member 3'7. In plan view the framework comprising the rails 35, 36and the cross piece 3'? is of U-shape, as is shown in Figure 1 of thedrawings. Take-up rollers 38 and 39 are rotatably supported in the rails35 and 36, on axes at right 55 angles thereto. The roller 38 isrotatably mounted in the rails on a fixed axis. The spindle ends of theroller 39, however, are mounted in slidable blocks 40, shown in Figure 5of the drawings, which are spring urged at 41 in the usual manner, sothat the roller 39 is peripherally adjacent to the roller 38; the fabricbeing fed between the rollers 38 and 39 to effect take-up, in a mannerwhich is well understood in this art.

The rollers 38 and 39 are geared together by means of pinions 43 whichhave relatively long teeth in meshing engagement; these pinions being ingeared connection at all times notwithstanding the axial play of theroller 39 away from the roller 38. The said rollers 38 and 39 arelongitudinally fluted or grooved to prevent the fabric from slippingover the gripping surfaces of said rollers.

Posts 50, 51 and 52 are vertically mounted upon the rotary gear 11,being fixed at their lower ends in said gear and upstanding in rightangular relation from the plane of the gear and in relative parallelism.The cross portion 37 of the roller frame is provided with extensionpieces 55 apertured for slidably receiving the post 50 therethrough. Asshown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings the free ends of the rails 35and 36 are similarly provided with extension pieces 57 and 58 which areapertured for respectively slidably receiving the posts 51 and 52therethrough. This three-point slidable mounting, of the roller frameinsures that the same will have a truly vertical rectilinear movement.Each of the posts 50, 51 and 52 above the portions of the roller frameslidable thereon is provided with an adjustable sleeve 60 and a,

spring 61 under compression between the sleeve 60 and the portion of theroller frame connected upon the posts, to normally urge'the roller framedownwardly. This action, as will be subsequently described, normallytends to maintain the clutch mechanism F in driving association with theroller driving means.

Referring to the driving connection F, a. ringshaped gear is connectedat 81 upon the top of the frame B; the same being an internally toothed"gear and the diametrical pitch of the teeth being considerably greaterthan the diametrical pitch of the teeth of the gear 11, so that thelatter, except for the ring 25, may be lifted through the gear 80. Thegear 11 is pro- 'vided with a shaft 82 rotatably. bearing-thereon,

' as shown in Figure 2, upon which is mounted a pinion 83 immediatelyabove the gear 11 and in meshing relation with the teeth of thestationary ring gear 80. A vertical stationary post is mounted in thegear 11, as shown in Figure 2 of thedrawings, about the lower end ofwhich is rotatably mounted a pinion 91 in meshing engagement with thepinion 83 above mentioned. The pinion 91 is non-rising, and ispermanently in mesh with the pinion 83. A worm 94 is rotatably mountedon the post 90 for vertical sliding thereon; the worm94 being retainedin definite non axial movable relation with the frame of the rollermeans E by means of upper and lower bracket arms 96 and 97 respectively,which are 78 the female clutch portion 91 which consists of attached totheframe rail 36, as shown in Flg ures 2 and 4 of the drawings. Thespindle end of 'the roller 38' is provided with a worm gear 100 "in meshwith the worm 94.

' The clutch feature of the invention includes opposed male extensions102 on the lower hub end of the worm 94 adapted to cooperate with theopposed radial recesses 103, as shown in Figures 2 and 4 of thedrawings.

In operation, the shaft 30 will rotatably drive the gear 11 at the samespeed of rotation as the cylinder. With the clutching parts in theposition shown in Figure 2 it is quite apparent that the worm and wormgear will drive the rollers 38 and 39 for a take-up of the fabric as itis knitted upon the machine. They will main-v tain the fabric under adefinite and uniform tension at all times. If the tension upon thefabric exceeds the predetermined amount there will of course be alifting action upon the rollers 38 and 39 and the frame work upon whichsaid rollers are mounted, which will bodily lift said frame portionagainst compressive action of the springs 61. This will pull the clutchteeth 102 out of engagement with the recesses 103, throwing out theclutch and preventing rotation of the,

' rollers 38 and 39, so far as take-up of the fabric is concerned. Assoon as the tension upon the fabric is released to the proper degree thesprings 61 will again urge the worm 94 downwardly to clutch theextensions 102 in. the recesses 103 and again rotate the rollers 38 and39 for a takeeup of the fabric. 7

Various changes in. the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may bemade to the form of invention herein shown and described, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a, fabric take-up mechanism the combination of a stationarysupporting frame including a gear fixed against rotation, a rotaryframe, means for rotating said frame, a take-up device including a framehaving take-up rollers therethe roller frame so as to place said clutchparts v in engagement. v

2. In a fabric take-up mechanism the combination of a stationary frame,a rotatable frame mounted in the stationary frame, posts vertically'carried in fixed relation upon the rotatableframe, a roller take-upframe mounted for sliding along said posts for movement toward and awayfrom the rotary frame and rotatable therewith, and driving means betweenthe rotatable frame and rollers of the roller frame ineluding clutchparts in engagement normally and out of engagement as the roller. framemoves away from the first mentioned rotary frame 3. ma fabric take-upmechanism thecomhi- V nation of a stationary'framaa rotatableframemounted in the stationary frame, posts carried upon the rotatable frame,a roller takeup frame slidably mounted upo said posts for movementtoward and away mm the frame and rotatable therewith! driving means"tween the rotatable frame and rgllers of'the roller frame includingclutch parts in engagement normally and out of-engagement as the rollerframe moves away from the first mentionedJ-otary frame, and spring theroller frame to place said clutch parts in engagement.

4. In a fabric take-up mechanism the combination of a stationary frame,a rotary gear mounted on the stationary frame against axial movement,drive means meshing with the rotary gear for driving the same, a rollertake-up frame carried by the rotary gear for rotation therewith andmounted for vertical movement towards and f away from said rotary gear,a stationary gear,

a pinion rotatable on the rotary gear on a fixed axis in mesh with thestationary gear, a second gear rotatable ona fixed axis upon therotatable gear. first mentioned and in mesh with the first mentionedpinion for drive thereby, a worm gear keyed with a'take-up roller ofsaid roller frame, a worm in mesh with the worm gear and bodily -movablewith the roller frame, and a clutch including a part upon said worm anda second part upon said second mentioned pinion, said clutch parts beingin engagement when the roller frame is in close relation to the rotarygear first mentioned'and out of engagement when the roller frame ismoved away from said rotary gear.

5. .In a fabric take-up mechanism for knitting machines and the like thecombination of a stationary frame including a stationary gear, anon-axially movable rotary frame on the stations ary frame, means forrotation of said rotary frame, a roller fabric take-up frame mountedupon the rotary frame for rotation therewith and for rectilinearmovement axially away therefrom, a worm and worm gear drive for theroller portion of said roller frame including a clutch part fixed withsaid worm, and a second clutch part rotatably geared with the stationarygear and adapted to mesh with the clutch part of said worm when theroller frame is in position of its movement closest to said rotaryframe.

6. In a fabric take-up mechanism the combination of a stationarysupport, a rotary frame support mounted upon the stationary support, a

roller take-up frame, means mounting the roller take-up frame formovement towards and away from the rotary frame support, means fordriving the take-up rollers of the roller frame including rotary clutchparts upon the rotary frame and the roller take-up frame, and springmeans urging the roller take-up frame towards the ro- I tary framesupport to normally maintain said including clutch parts in engagementnormally and out of engagement as the roller frame moves away from therotary frame, and spring means upon said posts acting against the rollertake-up frame to urge it in the direction of said rotary frame andnormally holding said clutch parts in operating engagement.

8. In a fabric take-up mechanism the combination of a stationary frame,a rotatable frame mounted upon the stationary frame, upright postscarried upon the'rotatable frame and fixed therewith, a roller take-upframe slidably mounted upon said posts for movement towards and awayfrom the rotary frame and connecting the said roller take-up frame forrotation with the rotary frame, means between the rotatable frame androllers of the roller take-up frame including clutch parts in engagementnormally and out of engagement as the roller frame moves away from therotary frame, springs upon said posts, and adjustable collars connectedupon eachof the posts and holding the springs under compression forurging the clutch parts into operating engagement. I

'9. In a fabric take-up mechanism the combination of a rotary'supporting frame, a rotary clutch 'part thereon, a second frame mountedupon the rotary frame for movement towards and away from the rotaryframe, take-up rollers rotatably bearing in said second frame and gearedtogether, drive gearing upon said second frame including a gear having aclutch part adapted to interengage with'the clutch part first mentioned,

and spring means normally urging the second frame .to interengage saidclutch parts.

' HARRY McADAMS.

